A unique experience that will stay in your heart forever

Visiting an elephant sanctuary is a must-do activity when staying in Chiang Mai. The choice is overwhelming sine there are hundreds of elephant centres more or less ethical. It is important to spend time choosing a real sanctuary, not a zoo and not place where these clever and sensitive mammals are exploited for riding jungle trips or mistreated and tamed with hooks and violence.

After hours comparing websites, reviews, prices, and travel agencies in Chiang Mai, we decided to undertake this experience with the “Elephant Mountain Sanctuary” 1H30 away from Chiang Mai.

I feel like recommending this place since I noticed that the animals where treated with respect, the carers had no hooks, and they are completely against the concept of riding these giants to make money out of them. The sanctuary only organises half or full days where you can spend your time walking besides the elephants, preparing herbal and fruity smashed food for them, feeding them, cuddling them or play with them in the river.

Moreover the price is really competitive compared to other sanctuaries, it is located in the middle of the forest close to the Mae Tang River; From here you can see people doing rafting and you will cross barefooted the river splashing water to the elephants. These animals clearly enjoy the contact with humans, and I also noticed that these clever mammals had a lovely relationship with the carers, and were always standing by their side looking for contact.

The carers offer a return transfer from your hotel at 7 in the morning, they took us in about 1 hour to the eco-friendly Poo-poo Elephant Park where elephant’s poo is recycled and used to make all kind of useful objects in a sustainable way.

Once we were showed the process(40 minutes), we were finally taken to the sanctuary where you have to chance to chat we international travellers, take picture with the elephant, feed them with bananas ad sugar canes and play with them. After lunch (Pad Thai and fruits) we headed towards the jungle with the elephants crossing the river which was an hilarious experience since the current was quite strong and the cheeky baby was having fun at splashing us while crossing.

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